New Year Countdown
by Furtively Lethargic
Summary: - 3..." Mary-Lynette whispered and leaned outside the balcony " - 2..." Mary-Lynette closed her eyes " - 1.." came the oh-so-familiar voice that she'd been wanting to hear all day Ash x Mare


**New Year Countdown**

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Night World.

REWRITTEN.

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"—just a few more hours before another year starts, and look—those people are already crowding around the large clock!" the reporter exclaimed, in the television, as the camera focused on the large number of people.

"I can't believe this! Another year is about to pass, aren't you excited Mare?" Mark asked when he turned back to Mare, then to the television once again.

"I can't believe it either. This year was just so…uh—I don't know. Most of the days in this year was me _not _being with Ash. So, I guess I'm happy…?" Mary-Lynette shrugged.

"Mare, Ash came back six days ago. And you've been spending your whole time _with _him ever since he came back," Mark sarcastically remarked.

"Like I said, most of the days in this year was me _not _being with Ash. But anyways, I'm excited too!" Mary-Lynette beamed with a huge smile on her face.

Mark sighed, "I wonder what Jade's reaction would be."

"Jade's reaction of what?"

"Jade's reaction to _that,_" Mark pointed out to the unfinished but almost completed banner for the new year in the television.

Mary-Lynette laughed and leaned forward to pat Mark's shoulder, "Don't worry Mark, she already knows how it feels to move on to the next year."

Mark nervously laughed and shrugged off his big sister's hand, "You're right."

Mary-Lynette chuckled, "Silly."

"—it's a new year's day tradition!" exclaimed a man from the television.

"Flowers? A new year's day tradition?" Mark raised his eyebrows at the television, "Unbelievable, I thought flowers were only for Valentine's day," Mark mumbled.

Mary-Lynette laughed again, "Mark, my little brother, we can use flowers in different occasions, not only for Valentine's Day. We could use it for weddings and—"

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Phone," Mark commanded his older sister.

"Door," Mary-Lynette commanded her younger brother at the same time he commanded her.

Both looked at each other and nodded, then did what they were told to do.

"Good Evening. This is the Carter residence. Mary-Lynette Carter speaking. How may I help you?" Mary-Lynette answered as she picked up the phone.

Mark rushed to the door and gently opened the front door, "Yes? Wha—?"

"Mark!"

"Jade!" Mark gave his girlfriend a kiss on the forehead and pulled her into his house.

"Why'd you stop by this early?" Mark asked when Jade didn't say anything else.

"I stopped by to tell Mary-Lynette something," Jade said a bit grimly.

Mark looked at Jade and saw that she wasn't kidding, "Jade."

Jade looked up with her innocent eyes.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked, sternly,

Jade was silent and walked ahead of Mark, into the kitchen.

"Mare," came Jade's voice from the kitchen's doorframe.

"Hold on a sec," Mary-Lynette said to Jade. Jade nodded and took a seat across Mary-Lynette.

"Okay - okay. Sure dad. Bye. Love you and happy new year," Mary-Lynette answered disappointingly and hung up.

"Dad said that he and Claudine might not be here with us in the new year so…what's up?" Mary-Lynette asked when she turned her head to Jade.

"I've got to tell you something," Jade said and shifted uncomfortably.

"Okay. Sure. What is _it_?" Mary-Lynette asked as she stood up and walked over to the refrigerator.

"I—uh…it's about Ash—" Jade started off slowly, shifting from time to time.

Mary-Lynette got some glass of juice and sat back down again. With an unemotional face, she motioned for Jade to continue.

"We—uh…couldn't find him anywhere. Not in our house. Not out hunting. Not even in the _whole _town of Briar Creek," Jade said softly and waited for Mary-Lynette to cry out loud.

But what Mary-Lynette did, shocked our little vampire friend. As Mary-Lynette drank from her glass, she choked on it and spitted out some juice to poor-little Jade, "What?" Mary-Lynette screeched, not even bothering to say sorry.

'_That was bad timing Jade. Never and I mean NEVER say anything surprising to a person who is eating and or drinking so that they would NOT spit on you_,' Jade mentally noted as she took some tissue and dried herself from the juice.

"He's missing, Mare. That's what she's trying to tell you," Mark nervously said.

Mary-Lynette glared at her brother, "I know what she meant. I'm just trying to confirm if that what I just heard _is _true."

"It's true," Jade whispered inaudibly, but Mary-Lynette heard it anyway.

"You really don't know where he is right now?" Mary-Lynette asked bewildered.

"Not a clue," Jade said.

"Can't you read his mind or track him or—or—or _something_?" Mary-Lynette is trying hard not to panic but it's _really_ easier thought than done.

"We can but the problem is—" Jade said.

"—is?" Mary-Lynette asked, worried that Ash was dead.

"Mare, let her finish. Please," Mark pleaded and finally sat down on the chair next to Jade.

"—is that, Ash kept us from reading his mind yesterday and—and today!" Jade exclaimed.

"But don't worry, he's not dead at all. We all know that he's safe and could take care of himself—" Jade said reassuringly.

"Yeah, but he couldn't take care of himself when he's around Mare's right foot—" Mark joked while Jade and Mary-Lynette glared at him.

"Sorry," Mark mumbled and looked down.

Silence. The trio sat at the table for they-don't-know-how-long hours or minutes. But what they do know is that it's only an hour left before midnight. Only an hour left before another year starts.

"Well, Rowan already prepared a small party for the new year's so…let's go?" Jade asked, looking at both Mark and Mary-Lynette.

"Sure," Mark beamed and stood up.

"Mare, you coming?" Jade asked as Mark pulled her up from the chair.

Mary-Lynette shrugged and stood up.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Jade asked, confused.

"I don't know," Mary-Lynette whispered.

"Just come by later if you feel like it," Jade inquired before walking out of the kitchen with Mark behind her.

"See you later, sis. Happy new year!" Mark yelled over his shoulder as he shut the door.

Mary-Lynette walked upstairs, to her room. She walked down the hallway, slowly. Tracing the patterns on the wall, she thought; where could Ash possibly be, is he alright, will he come back at exactly 12:00 am midnight, is he—is he dead?

That last thought practically chased her out of her sanity and soon, as she know or practically thought, she might need those anti-depressants to keep her from losing her mind.

'_Maybe, I am losing my mind right now. I just don't know if its happening already. And I definitely don't feel it_,' Mary-Lynette thought and banged her head into her pillow.

Mary-Lynette groaned. Her brother's been enjoying his life with Jade and she is being depressed all over again…I mean COME ON! It's like the time when Ash left her but this time; Ash didn't even say good-bye to her! What a heartless jerk!

'_I only had him for six short days and now he's gone!_' Mary-Lynette whined mentally.

She kicked and trashed everywhere but the place wasn't trashed at all. _She_ was though. Her hair was messy, her—her—uh…the only thing that's trashed _physically _is her hair but her emotion, tsk, tsk, no good. Her emotions are _severely _trashed. The television was still turned on and she heard that it was only fifteen minutes before twenty-ten starts. Instead of crying all night long, Mary-Lynette combed her hair and rushed outside the balcony to see fireworks exploding from every part there is in Briar Creek.

Mary-Lynette smiled brightly at the stars shone above and at the fireworks display. As the clock tick and tock, Mary-Lynette soon found herself beaming with excitement as the reporters record how many more minutes before 2010 starts.

"One more minute folks and everything that you have been waiting for will come true!" the reporter exclaimed.

Mary-Lynette sighed, frustrated. '_Ash isn't here yet…where are you? New Year's about to begin!_' Mary-Lynette thought.

"—5…4—" the reporter continued.

"—3…" Mary-Lynette whispered and leaned outside the balcony.

"—2…" Mary-Lynette closed her eyes.

"—1…" came the oh-so-familiar voice that she'd been wanting to hear all day.

"—happy new year everybody!" the reporter cheered with everyone.

"Happy new year Mare," Ash whispered and was immediately behind Mary-Lynette in a heartbeat.

Mary-Lynette sighed again, but this time happily, "Where'd you been?"

"Nevada," Ash stated proudly.

"For what?" Mary-Lynette mumbled and leaned against Ash's chest.

"To buy a new year's gift for you," Ash stated again, simply.

Smack. "I told you _not_ to buy me anything!"

"Ow," Ash rubbed his head and began pouting at Mary-Lynette.

"At least accept it," Ash whined.

Mary-Lynette rolled her eyes and smiled, "Sure. What is it?"

Ash grinned and kneeled on one knee, then took a small velvet box from his pocket, "Mary-Lynette Carter, will you marry me?"

Mary-Lynette gasped and smacked Ash on the head, "Of course I will, silly! But—"

Ash stood up and hugged Mary-Lynette tightly, " Whoohoo! And then you'll be Mary-Lynette Red—but—but—but—but _what_?"

Mary-Lynette laughed, "—I'm just nineteen, maybe next year. I'm still too young, by the way."

Ash pulled away and sulked. Mary-Lynette giggled.

"But I do like it when you said that I'll be Mary-Lynette Redfern."

Ash gave Mary-Lynette his famous smirk and captured her lips in one swift motion.

"I love you, Mare," Ash mumbled against her lips. Mary-Lynette smiled.

"I love you too—Oh and Happy new year," Mary-Lynette whispered when they pulled away to grasp some air.

'_This year won't be lonely anymore, now that Ash is here,_' Mary-Lynette thought and hugged her soulmate tightly.

'_Starting from now on, I won't be alone anymore,_' Ash thought as he returned his soulmate's hug.

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**Hearty-Har-Har! This is rewritten, and I'm going to be rewriting some other stories that I (and some of you) prefer suckish.**

**Thanks and review? X)**


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